It’s an honor to have back Naomi Noguchi Reese as Guest Blogger at Cloud of Witnesses. Naomi is a PhD student in theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

I have been enjoying reading some of the quotes on this blog by Jonathan Edwards. It reminds me of the class on him that I took a while ago. In the class, I learned about the conversion of a woman named Abigail Hutchinson. I had never heard of her before then, probably because I was not familiar with much of Edwards’s writings. But, she made such a big impact on me.

Edwards described her conversion story in a letter to Benjamin Colman, pastor of the Brattle Street Church in Boston. Edwards writes, “She was first awakened in the winter season, on Monday, by something she heard her brother say of the necessity of being in good earnest in seeking regeneration…” This seemed to be the beginning of her conversion. Until her passing after a long battle with a terminal illness, she earnestly sought God in every area of her life. “I am willing to suffer for Christ’s sake, I am willing to spend and be spent for Christ’s sake; I am willing to spend my life, even my very life for Christ’s sake!” she declared, even in her sickness.

What a powerful statement! Surely these are not ordinary human utterances. Certainly, a divine and supernatural light, a true sense of divine excellency, had enlightened her heart and inspired her to say these things. The entire account can be found in “A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God” (1737) at http://www.jonathan-edwards.org/Narrative.html.

Abigail Hutchinson was a very disturbed woman. Shortly after uttering those words, she stopped eating and drinking, and eventually died. Jonathan Edwards encouraged this ! Jonathan Edwards was a sick and evil man. I lived in Northampton, MA for 15 years… we all knew these stories. It is also chronicled in the book, The Family by Jeff Sharlet.